Hollande to Netanyahu: We'll Remain Tough on Iran

French President reassures PM Netanyahu that France will remain "tough" with Iran on its controversial nuclear program.

By Elad Benari, Canada

First Publish: 10/11/2013, 8:40 PM

Netanyahu and Hollande (file)

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French President Francois Hollande reassured Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Friday that France will remain "tough" with Iran on its controversial nuclear program, reports AFP.

Hollande told Netanyahu in a telephone call that France would wait to see if the more moderate politics of Iran's new leader Hassan Rouhani, who replaced hardline Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June, would translate in his "actions", the Elysee palace said, according to the news agency.

The conversation comes a day after Netanyahu, in a slew of interviews with influential European media, warned the West not to allow Iran to continue to enrich uranium.

In one interview with the television channel France24, Netanyahu urged France to be tough on Iran "with or without Rouhani's smiles."

His comments came after a historic handshake between the French and Iranian leaders on the fringes of the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month.